May 2
Osama bin Laden Killed
Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Nearly 10 years after 9/11, the mastermind was dead. Crowds gathered at the White House and Ground Zero.
🇺🇸United States · 10s
Justice Found
Osama bin Laden killed, Occupy Wall Street, and the Arab Spring.
What happened
5 milestones of 2011
Sep-Nov
Occupy Wall Street
Protesters occupied Zuccotti Park in Manhattan, rallying against income inequality. 'We are the 99%' became the slogan. The movement spread to 600 cities worldwide.
Jan 8
Gabrielle Giffords Shooting
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at a constituent event in Tucson. Six people died including a 9-year-old girl. Giffords survived and became a gun control advocate.
mass shooting
Jul 8
Last Space Shuttle Mission
Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on the final shuttle mission (STS-135). After 135 missions over 30 years, the shuttle program ended. America had no way to send humans to space on its own.
Apr-May
Deadly Tornado Season
The deadliest tornado season since 1953 killed over 550 Americans. An EF5 tornado destroyed much of Joplin, Missouri, killing 158. Climate extremes were becoming more visible.
natural disaster
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
David Yates — The magical saga ended. 'Always.' The highest-grossing film of 2011.
The Artist
Michel Hazanavicius — A silent, black-and-white film won Best Picture. Hollywood was charmed.
Bridesmaids
Paul Feig — Kristen Wiig proved women could carry a raunchy comedy. The airplane scene.
Drive
Nicolas Winding Refn — Ryan Gosling, a scorpion jacket, and neon. Style as substance.
The Help
Tate Taylor — Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. Race relations in 1960s Mississippi.
What was on TV
Game of Thrones
2011-2019 — 'Winter is coming.' HBO's fantasy epic became the biggest show in the world.
Breaking Bad
2008-2013 — Walter White's descent continued. Season 4's Gus Fring was unforgettable.
Homeland
2011-2020 — Claire Danes as a CIA officer. Post-9/11 paranoia as premium drama.
American Horror Story
2011-present — Ryan Murphy's anthology horror series. Each season a new nightmare.
The Walking Dead
2010-2022 — Zombies dominated cable TV. 'Don't dead, open inside.'
How much things cost
Currency: USD
Gallon of milk$3.39
Gallon of gas$3.53
New house (median)$227,200
New car (average)$23,500
Loaf of bread$1.42
Movie ticket$7.93
Inflation: 3.2%
Slow recovery from the Great Recession. Unemployment was still near 9%. Gas prices hit $4 in some areas.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Gallon of milkBLS
2011 (USD)
$3.39
→
Today's value ($)
--
Gallon of gasEIA
2011 (USD)
$3.53
→
Today's value ($)
--
New house (median)Census Bureau
2011 (USD)
$227,200
→
Today's value ($)
--
New car (average)BLS
2011 (USD)
$23,500
→
Today's value ($)
--
Loaf of breadBLS
2011 (USD)
$1.42
→
Today's value ($)
--
Movie ticketNATO
2011 (USD)
$7.93
→
Today's value ($)
--
Technology
Siri launched
Apple's voice assistant debuted with the iPhone 4S. 'Hey Siri' entered daily life.
Snapchat launched
Disappearing photos. Gen Z would adopt it as their platform.
IBM Watson on Jeopardy!
Watson defeated Ken Jennings at Jeopardy! AI was getting smarter.
Spotify in US
Spotify launched in America. Music streaming became mainstream.
iPad 2
The tablet era was in full swing. iPads were everywhere.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Skinny jeans peakInfinity scarvesHigh-waisted shorts
Slang
YOLO— You only live once
Winning— Succeeding (Charlie Sheen)
Bro— Male friend, dude
Behavior
- Arab Spring protests inspired Occupy Wall Street
- Bin Laden's death brought a moment of national unity
- The 'selfie' was becoming a thing (the word wasn't official yet)
Share
Download or share cards from this year
1200×630 · WhatsApp/Facebook